Winston Churchill was one of the most infamous prime ministers of Britain and unsurprisingly, he has been subject of a lot of dramatisations over the years and has even served as inspiration for an alien in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

The latest high-profile portrayal was John Lithgow in Netflix’s The Crown, but before Season 2 of the show returns, another lauded actor’s taking on the mantle.

Brian Cox, the skilled English actor from L.I.E., Zodiac and X2 stars as the man himself in the new film Churchill alongside Miranda Richardson as his wife, Clementine.

Mad Men’s John Slattery as American general Dwight D. Eisenhower. The film, shot in Scotland, focuses on the run-up to the World War 2 operation D-day in summer 1944, portraying the prime minister as a man fearful of history repeating itself.

Mad Men’s John Slattery as American general Dwight D. Eisenhower. The film, shot in Scotland, focuses on the run-up to the World War 2 operation D-day in summer 1944, portraying the prime minister as a man fearful of history repeating itself.

The 70-year-old actor reportedly gained weight and shaved his head for the role. In an interview with The Guardian, he has likened Churchill to great Shakespearean characters such as King Lear, a role he played to acclaim at the National Theatre.

Cox also talked about how essential Churchill’s wife was to him in another interview. Churchill, exhausted by the war and illness, was plagued by depression. He said, “Clemmie was his rock. She keeps him on the straight and narrow, but is also quite exhausted by him and by his mood swings. I think he’s full of flaws and someone who lives with his mistakes, and that was a great source of his depression.”

The script of the film was co-written by historian Alex von Tunzelmann so that it can be as close to reality as possible.

Here’s the trailer for the upcoming 2 June 2017 film helmed by Brian Welsh (The Rack Pack).